Speechless
by a veritable iron rose
Summary: He's infamous for his arrogance, she for her snark.


_I know I'm neglecting all my other stories, but my inspiration has been all over the place recently. And due to more things happening in real life that have really put a damper on anything I'm able to write, I can only manage to scrounge up the energy to write things that I have a lot of feelings for. Such as Riddlecat for now, since I've read some 'fics for them and I will admit I'm in love. I promise I'll update when I can, but for now this is it. Thank you for sticking around._

_Also; I realized I needed to revise a couple things, so this is the edited version._

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"Evening, Kitten." The nickname was hardly the most unusual, but Selina's finely tuned ears picked up on the familiar arrogance in the tone of voice easily enough. Her nose twitched as she drew in a breath of distinctive cologne - _how_ she knew the scent that well was another story for another time. The gentle _harrumph_ of a man clearing his throat sounded in from the barstool beside hers, and there was shifting and settling before a whiskey was ordered. She downed the remaining dregs of her margarita before lifting her gaze to her companion. "Hardly subtle, Eddie."

"Edward," was the quick correction, and his twinkling eyes met hers from behind neat black frames. A healthy growth of beard covered the sharp jawline that the thief had grown to know, giving Edward a less clean look than he had last sported. Selina managed to suppress a snicker behind twitching lips as she arched an eyebrow. A look of rue crossed Edward's face as he reached up a hand to stroke through the thick strands. "Ah, yes. An accident that had to happen. With our… _mutual friend_ after me and all."

It had only been a month and a half since the Riddler had dared to blow up a portion of a certain billionaire's birthday gala. An event that had upstaged the Joker's planting of a series of bombs in a children's toy factory that had consequently spewed laughing gas from jack-in-the-boxes wherever they happened to land. The clown had obviously been unhappy that his fellow Rogue's actions had sparked a bigger reaction on the evening news than his had - and had vowed a revenge. And to add insult to injury, Edward had recently agreed to be a sort of double-agent with the GCPD - he would tell them where the Joker's current bunker was, and he and the other Rogues would be spared any arrest for a month. _Oops_. This would probably blow over in a month or two. The Rogues couldn't afford for their fellow villains to be on their backs for too long. They had the Batman to watch out for as well. But for the time being, hiding seemed a good decision for the Riddler.

Selina had, at the time, thought nothing of these events. Although a part of the Gallery herself, none of these consequences affected her in any way - which meant that although she indubitably heard about the happenings, she didn't lift a claw. Which was why this sudden, brazen appearance of the Riddler at the Iceberg Lounge piqued her curiosity as well as her senses. She couldn't risk being seen with him, not on the eve of a large heist that included the miniature sphinxes that had come on exhibition at the museum. There was too much risk that an eavesdropper would carry the news to the Joker, and Harley's love for her best friend aside, the clown had no hard feelings against sabotaging her and setting her behind bars, or six feet under. She needed another drink for this. "Awfully _brave_ of you to come out from hiding," Her drawl dripped with sarcasm.

"Aren't you afraid someone will tattle?" A more genuine statement, perhaps. Edward shakes his head nonchalantly with the air of a man truly at ease, which Selina grudgingly admires somewhere at the back of her head. Of course, she'll never admit it out loud. "You're not the type to tattle, my dear. Why should I worry?" An exasperated sigh left scarlet lips as she sent a sidewards glance at her rather unwelcome companion. "Apparently the other patrons of the Lounge are somehow invisible to you." Fidgeting fingers toyed with her empty glass.

"Simply blinded by your brilliance, Kitten." And there was the proof that Edward Nigma was still the same man beneath all that facial hair, all pompous bravado and compliments at the drop of a hat. A reminder of how easily he could get on her nerves. "Cut the bullshit, Nigma." And suddenly she was all business again, eyes holding a hardness instead of the casual gleam they had had a mere moment ago. "What are you really here for?" The smile on his face dimmed too. No one ever came to see the Cat without a reason. The notion of just enjoying her company was a falsehood.

She put her margarita glass down with a small clink on the counter and focused intense emerald eyes on Edward's. "Well?" Her tone was imperious, and the drumming of her nails on the bar top insinuated that he was clearly wasting her time now, and that he should hurry up with whatever the hell he'd come for. The twinkle in Edward's eyes returned with a flash, and he leaned in quick as a snake and captured her lips with his. The hand resting on the counter tensed, but Edward was already pulling away before she could land a strike, wiping her lipstick from the corner of his triumphant grin with the back of a gloved hand. "Just a kiss from a pretty lady for good luck. Be seeing you around, 'Lina." And he was off, sauntering around tables and out the door - his whiskey left on the bartop without a sip taken out of it.

It was the first time in years that he left her speechless.

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_Oneshots or continue with a storyline? It's up to you guys, I can do both - although either choice will follow a general timeline. Reviews would be much appreciated._


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